Citroën gives style with C5

By Michael Moroney

Citroën's new C5 is totally revamped, with good looks and a host of comfort features. Pitched against the likes of the Audi A4 and Volkswagen Passat, the benchmark was set high.

Citroën's new C5 is a positive and radical departure for the French car maker. This new car sets out to match the styling, performance and reliability of the German competition. So with the Audi A4 and Volkswagen Passat in its sights, Citroën has set new standards for this car.

That's the ambition, so does the car live up to it? I've had the entry-model 1.6 litre turbo-diesel C5 on the road to get an impression for myself.

The car certainly looks very impressive; the design is modern, while retaining some of the quirky Citroën features that we expect.

Most of all, Citroën has retained the comfort. This car is spacious and comfortable to drive, and passengers get a good deal in these terms too. So it needs to deliver strongly on reliability, and that's one of Citroën's key targets for the future.

I think most people will be impressed with the new C5 styling. The car is strong looking yet distinctive, but not too different. The interior is very Citroën, and the fixed-centre steering is carried forward in the new-generation models.

The control layout is very modern; the seats are good, with easy adjustment. Citroën retains its comfort features with the option of what they call a metal suspension or a new version of the legendary Citroën hydro-pneumatic system. The test car I had came with the metallic suspension, and it was very comfortable.

In power terms, the new Citroën C5 has thrifty and clean diesel options. With a 1.6 litre turbo-diesel engine under the bonnet, its power ability will be challenged, or so we might think.

This engine delivers well. It has a power output of 110bhp, which is not the highest in this bigger-car sector.

The engine torque comes in at 240Nm, again a shade on the low side, and both combine to give a 0-to-100km/hr acceleration figure of 12.2 seconds.

Relative to the competition, that performance might be considered slow, but it's comparable with the 1.8 litre Ford Mondeo and Renault's 1.5 litre diesel Laguna.

This car has more torque than the previous C5, but it's significantly heavier, so acceleration suffers a little in the plight for economy and low CO₂ figures.

That's a fair compromise in a car that offers good space and comfort. The C5 1.6 HDi drives well once the revs are up, but naturally you manage the car's ability in terms of overtaking. Driving this car is not hard work.

The Citroën C5 1.6HDi comes with a CO₂ rating of 149g/km, which is a good rating. This equals the CO₂ rating of the new Mazda6 2.0 litre diesel, and is bettered by BMW's 318d and the new 1.5 litre Renault Laguna. Across a full field of 13 comparable models, its CO₂ performance is good.

The low CO₂ rating is a measure of the car's fuel economy. This new C5 1.6 has a fuel consumption rating of 5.6 litres/100km (over 52mpg). This is impressive and close to the best in the sector but marginally lower than the new equivalent Renault Laguna, while BMW's 318d is the sector's most economical model.

This puts the entry-level C5 diesel into VRT Band C category, indicating a price drop this month.

The annual road tax on the car has dropped also as it enters the new Band C, with a rate drop from €428 to €290 annually.

Citroën fits a diesel particulate filter to the C5 to add to its environmental appeal. The filter has a 140,000 km replacement interval to minimise running costs.

The previous C5 had a good towing reputation and came out on top in many of the UK Caravan Club Towcar Awards. This new entry model has a lower towing rating than the previous model, at just 1.1 tonnes. This is surprising, as the car is heavier than the model that it replaces.

Citroën will attract new buyers with its C5 pricing. This entry-level car comes on the market this month at €28,160, or stg£16,595 in Northern Ireland, before delivery charges. That's superb value. Car buyers across the country are taking note, and the sales of C5 are set to take off from this month.

Citroën C5 1.6 HDi

Top speed	191km/hr
0 - 100km/hr	12.2 seconds
Economy	5.6l/100km
CO2 emissions	149g/km
Price	€28,160 (stg£16,595)